giggles

cute!!!

four eyes

i am encouraged that israeli forces have cleared and secured paths for humaintarian assistance in iraq. this confirms that israel values and honors common rights and liberties. we genuinely should not doubt that america and israel are reasoned and humane governments that largely promote progress. i completely believe that the larger effort to promote democracy and freedom is important and essential. i completely believe that we must prosecute an aggressive war against terror.

it should also be understood that hezbollah is a militant terror organization. they are responsible for igniting the current conflict, and they should be evacuated from southern lebanon. this evening, a missile hit the central hospital in nahariya, israel. the reckless fire of missles and rockets into civilian towns in northern israel is completely immoral. there is no clear equivalency between guerrilla attacks and state military responses.

however, we should also be humbled by our own mistakes and errors. the united states and israel have made gross errors in the prosecution of war. i do not believe that we should stand down or surrender. yet, we must speak out against gross violations of our own values and principles. we must be able to openly criticize and question strategy. misguided strategy in iraq and lebanon have killed and stranded incredible numbers of civilians and soldiers. unfortunately, i believe that our mistakes betray an exaggerated arrogance and hubris.

overdrawn israeli airstrikes have been widely condemned by all international sources. they have destroyed major lebanese infrastructure and displaced more than 600,000 civilians. limited army incursions have only minimally secured bordered towns. emboldened hezbollah fighters continue to launch rockets into northern israel and sustain wave offensives against israeli soldiers in town centers.

the new york times recently reported that senior israeli leadership, lncluding army generals and cabinet ministers, have pushed for an intensified "ground campaign to drive Hezbollah militants away from Israel’s northern border, where they have been launching 100 rockets or more on most days." i remain convinced that a large scale ground force is necessary to secure a sustainable peace in southern lebanon. i am concerned that increasing international pressure combined with real strategic mistakes limit opportunities for a just peace.

i believe in america, and i believe in israel. i really do. however, i also believe that our base strategies in iraq and lebanon have been neither safe, sensible, or effective.

61 days

aviyah is two months old, and she keeps growing and growing. she is now 22 inches long and 10 lbs. 13 oz. she visited the doctor today, and she had 4 vaccine shots. the doctor said that the medicine burns a little bit, and baby girl was very sad. now, she is feeling great again.

(editor's note: b"h.) ; )

34th and broadway

aviyah, samantha, and i met ryan near madison square garden. it was baby girl's first trip to midtown. it's so crazy walking around all of those people with a little baby. when you're by yourself, you just go. with a baby, you have to look around and try to time where everybody is going.

peapod

kangaroo & joey part 2

swaddle free

aviyah had her first successful swaddle-free nap. it lasted 3 hours!

i love you too!!!

"is the israeli offensive justified?"

in early july, hezbollah guerrillas killed 8 israeli soldiers and captured 2 soldiers patrolling the northern border of israel. hezbollah is a militant shiite group based in southern lebanon and largely supported by syria and iran. israel called the soldiers' capture an "act of war" and planned a targeted operation to retrieve the 2 soldiers. however, hezbollah soon began shelling northern israeli towns with rockets and advanced missles, and hezbaollah chief hassan nasrallah and declared an "open war" against israel.

israel quickly reorganized a strong, sustained offensive in southern lebanon and against strategic sites in central and northern lebanon. cnn recently asked, "is the israeli offensive is justified?" in short, i maintain that "an" intervention is clearly justified, but i do not believe "the" current offensive is justified. israel must punish hezbollah. it is outrageous that hezbollah indiscriminately bombs israeli towns and cities. a consensus statement from the g8 summit and an arab league announcement both condemn the hezbollah incursion. however, i also agree with subsequent european and united nations statements that the israeli air offensive is disproportionate and should be restrained. it is unfair and immoral to wildly attack civilian towns and large scale government infrastructure.

syria controlled a shadow government in lebanon for more than 20 years. the february 2005 assassination of former prime minister rafik hariri inspired a groundswell of popular support for independent democracy. reports further suggest that international support swelled reconstruction efforts in central beirut and helped to stabilize the government. however, sectarian groups still fracture major government policies. we must ask, in turn, if lebanon is complicit in the rocket attacks against israeli towns and cities? it is certainly hard to reconcile prime minister siniora's emotional pleas for help with his tacit support for hezbollah. in fact, there are two hezbollah ministers in the current government portfolio. recent statements also indicate the lebanese army will mobilize against israeli defense forces.

i understand the military objectives for israeli strikes against lebanon's airports and highways. hezbollah receives funding and resources from iran and syria. the lebanese government does not have strong control over hezbollah, and hezbollah might use the airport or the damascus highway to transport military reinforcement towards southern lebanon or the 2 israeli soldiers away to syria. at face, major infrastructure seems legitimate targets of state war. yet, i have always maintained the the civilian deaths and collateral damage from high-powered airstrikes are untenable. in fact, recent reports highlight a growing humanitarian crisis. more than 500,000 refugees from southern lebanon have fled into beirut and western syria.

it is clearly not acceptable that a militant terrorist group controls a largely autonomous region in southern beirut. in 2004, the united nations approved resolution 1559 to dismantle the hezbollah militia and encourage the lebanese army to wrest independent control of the region. yet, the central democratic government may not have the effective stability or strength to control hezbollah. an offensive ground force to push back hezbollah installations in southern lebanon may be intractable. however, it may be the only just response. a ground attack may then clear a buffer zone to allow an international peacekeeping force.

where's waldo?

zoom!

sweet baby

what's in a name?

zoolander?

don king?

christopher jee?

yahoo serious?

kim jong il?!?!?!

ace ventura- pet detective?

no just aviyah xiaolei!!!

sweetness

it's neat because aviyah is starting to respond to things, now. the first month was kind of hard. she has been very healthy, and we feel very lucky. . . but it's also been hard, too.

now, she is starting to be more and more aware, and that's so special! for a few days, she didn't really like me at all. she knew that i wasn't mommy, and she really really really wanted mommy. that was kind of hard, but i also understood. it's okay though because she loves me again!

: )

smiles

me & my cuzzies!!!

hi jordyn!!!

hi shayna!!!

hi sydney!!!

its me, ayivah. i can't wait to meet you. i love you!!!

kangaroo & joey

friends!

now hear this!

when aviyah was first born, she had fluid that remained in her ear from the womb. she tested again the following day, but the fluid did not clear up. today, she passed her tests, and she can hear us perfectly! : )

all clean!

figures

aviyah visited dr. watson on monday, and she received her very first a+. she is now 9 lbs. 13 oz. and 21 1/2" long. she has gained 2 lbs. and 2 1/2"!

you go girl. : )

happy birthday emily!

one fine day